Author Ellen Osborn gives us a unique history of El Dorado County, California, beginning with the early days of the gold rush and the first conflicts with the Native American tribes of the region. Based on primary source documents, including the unpublished diary of one of the soldiers, this is the first account of the El Dorado Indian Wars told from the perspective of the men and women who lived it, natives and newcomers alike. This book also traces the evolution of California's Highway 50 from its beginning as the Native American trade trail that became a popular Gold Rush route and explains why it has come to be called one of the most storied and romantic roads in American history. Most importantly, Osborn shares the story of the her great grandfather, John Calhoun Johnson and the world he lived in as emigrants poured into California, seeking promises of riches and following their own dreams of a new life.